How to vectorize artwork for laser cutting

Why does a laser need a vector to cut?

Because a laser cuts by following a path, and an image has no paths. LightBurn's documentation says images can only be used for engraving, while vector shapes on a Line layer are traced along their paths to cut, score or mark (LightBurn: Images vs. Vectors). Glowforge says the same about file types: SVG and PDF work for cutting and engraving, JPG and PNG for engraving only (Glowforge: upload your own design).

How do I trace artwork for laser cutting?

1. Prepare the artwork. Use the largest, sharpest copy you have, with dark artwork on a plain, light background. Faint or grey lines can fall into the light group and drop out of a Black & White trace.
2. Choose Black & White before you upload. Pick the Sketch preset (it uses Black & White) or open Fine-tune and switch modes. On the free plan every trace counts.
3. Drop in the image — PNG, JPG, WebP or GIF.
4. Raise Filter Speckle until specks disappear from the preview. Dust and paper grain trace as tiny closed shapes that a laser would cut one by one: on our test sketch, Black & White at the default setting kept 65 paths, mostly specks.
5. Zoom the preview (up to 40×) and flip to the original to compare, then download the SVG.

Why Black & White rather than Color?

In Color mode, Image2Vector stacks shapes on top of each other, starting with a shape that covers the whole canvas, and the background is traced as a shape of its own (white, for a transparent image). For a laser that means overlapping outlines, including ones around the whole design. Black & White traces only the darker artwork as single-colour shapes, with no background shape.

What should I check before cutting?

• Shapes are closed. Every path Image2Vector traces ends where it starts. That matters for engraving areas too: LightBurn's Fill mode needs closed shapes.
• The path count makes sense. Thousands of tiny paths mean a noisy source. Raise Filter Speckle and trace again; the measurements in how to fix a traced SVG show how much it removes.
• The size is right. An Image2Vector SVG is as many units wide as your image is pixels. LightBurn turns those into real dimensions using its SVG import setting — 96 DPI (Inkscape's default) or 72 DPI (Illustrator's) — so set the final size after import (LightBurn settings).
• Text is outlined. Traced text is already shapes. LightBurn can't import embedded fonts, so this is one problem you won't have (LightBurn file management).

SVG or DXF?

LightBurn imports SVG, DXF, AI, PDF and PLT/HPGL files, plus PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF and TIFF images (LightBurn). The Glowforge app takes SVG, PDF, JPG and PNG, and DXF for Premium members (Glowforge).

SVG is free on every Image2Vector plan. DXF is a Pro export, and it's built for CAD-style software:

• Every outline becomes a polyline of straight segments. Curves are approximated: in our test, each polyline had between 34 and 401 points.
• All polylines sit on one layer, with no colours or fills — you assign cut settings in your laser software.
• Each polyline ends where it starts, though it isn't flagged as closed; if your software treats it as open, use its close or join tool.
• The drawing is flipped so it isn't upside down (SVG measures y downwards, CAD upwards).
• Coordinates follow your image's pixel size, so set the final size when you import. LightBurn's DXF import settings let it detect units or set them yourself (LightBurn settings).

Can I trace the image inside LightBurn instead?

Yes. LightBurn has its own Trace Image tool (Tools ‣ Trace Image, or Alt/Option+T), which its documentation recommends for high-contrast art such as logos, silhouettes, sketches and handwriting (LightBurn: Trace Image). Image2Vector is the alternative when you want an SVG or DXF file you can also use in other software, with presets and a zoomable preview.

Laser cutting from an image FAQ